A Meridian restaurant blames its closure on the landlord, but lawsuits tell another story
Biscuit & Hogs, known for its all-day breakfast and large portions, has permanently closed its flagship location on Linder Road in North Meridian.
The restaurant blamed the closure on its landlord, High Desert Development, but allegations in court records say the business failed to pay rent, stayed past its lease cancellation date, and didn’t pay a contractor who worked on the space, leading to a $10,000 lien being filed on the property in September.
The owner of the business, Boomer Godsill, also faces numerous lawsuits for failing to pay a food vendor for goods and services rendered at several of his restaurants. He allegedly owes Shamrock Foods more than $300,000.
Biscuit & Hogs said in an Instagram post on Nov. 22 that the decision to close “was not ours to make but was enforced” by its landlord. The post said Godsill was hospitalized with heart failure and a blood clot in early October when High Desert Development sent a letter asking for October rent, giving the business five days to comply or vacate the premises.
“Unfortunately, with our owner in the hospital and unable to work, the letter was never received,” the restaurant said. “Despite the circumstances, our lease was canceled without consideration for the Biscuit & Hogs family.”
The post also accused High Desert Development of locking the business out of the space and refusing to allow it back in to retrieve employees’ belongings and their paychecks.
BoiseDev earlier reported the closure. The Idaho Statesman was unable to reach High Desert Development founder Joe Huarte or Tony Tseng, manager at Orchard Park Development LLC, for comment.
Last month, Biscuit & Hogs wrote on Facebook that it was “thrilled” to announce it would be closing its original location on Overland Road in Meridian and consolidating its operations at the restaurant at 6192 N. Linder Road. The restaurant opened in January in the Orchard Park commercial and housing development originally known as Linder Village, at the intersection of Linder Road and Chinden Boulevard. Biscuit & Hogs said the move would ensure “a more comfortable and enjoyable experience” for customers and staff.
The chain’s other location, which opened in Ogden, Utah in 2023, has since closed, too.
Godsill owns a handful of other restaurants in the Treasure Valley, including the Blue Bench Brunchette and the Sunrise Cafe locations in Boise, Meridian and Middleton.
Another one of Godsill’s restaurants, Huck House Brunchette in Garden City, closed in September. A lawsuit alleges that the landlord had evicted the restaurant for failing to pay at least five months of rent.
Godsill also owned Brunchette on the Lake in McCall, but he sold it in 2023. He allegedly owes over $35,000 to Shamrock Foods for goods and services rendered to that location, which remains open under different ownership.
The lawsuits filed by Shamrock Foods together demand hundreds of thousands of dollars from Godsill for nonpayment, plus 12% interest and attorneys fees. In responses filed with the Ada County District Court, Godsill denies the allegations and asks the court to dismiss the lawsuits and award himself attorneys’ fees. He also denied that Shamrock Foods gave him at least 10 days of written notice before taking recourse.
Godsill initially agreed to speak with the Idaho Statesman for this story but then decided not to. “... After speaking again with our attorneys we are holding off on speaking till our counter claims are filed next week,” he said in a message.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
